{
  "id": 7001538,
  "title": "Iraq closes three Iran crossings after drone launch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/iraq-closes-three-iran-crossings-after-drone-launch",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T21:36:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40439241/iraq-closes-three-iran-crossings-after-drone-launch"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Baghdad, Iraq has closed three border crossings with Iran in the wake of a drone attack on a Saudi Arabian pipeline, officials confirmed to AFP. The decision came after the drone strike, which both Saudi Arabia and Iraq attributed to being launched from Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi swiftly removed the military commander in Missan province, where the border crossing is located, following the investigation into the drone's origin.\n\nNo militant group has asserted responsibility for the attack, yet the alliance of powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups denied involvement despite the accusation from Riyadh. A security source and government official revealed that authorities ordered the closures to track down the perpetrators, prevent their escape, and thwart drone smuggling through these crossings.\n\nThe closed crossings are Shalamsheh in Basra province, al-Shib in Missan, and al-Mandali in the central province of Diyala. Other border crossings with Iran remain open. The government's security media cell announced that authorities have initiated reorganization efforts at several border crossings, ramping up intelligence activities to determine the breaches and violations that occurred at these points.\n\nPassengers stranded for hours at two crossings were later permitted to pass. In July, the United States and Saudi Arabia reported targeting Iranian-backed militants in Iraq in retaliation for assaults on US forces and Saudi oil installations. Pro-Iranian armed groups have backed Tehran during the ongoing Middle East conflict, claiming hundreds of attacks on US bases in Iraq and beyond.\n\nOn Saturday, these groups, operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, denied responsibility for the pipeline strike, stating, \"Accusations against the Iraqi resistance regarding the targeting of vital Saudi installations on Friday are an honor that we do not claim.\" Facing mounting US pressure, Zaidi pledged to ensure armed factions surrender their weapons to the state, a move that has intensified tensions as several groups refuse to disarm.",
  "summary": "BAGHDAD: Iraq closed three border crossings with Iran on Saturday, officials told AFP, after a drone attack on a Saudi Arabian pipeline that both Riyadh and Baghdad said was launched from Iraq. Soon after the attack, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the military commander in Missan province, bordering Iran, after authorities determined that the drones had been launched from there. No…",
  "key_points": [
    "Iraq closes three border crossings with Iran following drone attack on Saudi pipeline.",
    "Military commander in Missan province removed after investigation.",
    "Closed crossings: Shalamsheh (Basra), al-Shib (Missan), and al-Mandali (Diyala)."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}